Seekers of Darkness, Part 1: The Fall
by letthestarsfalldown
Summary: One, searching for an errant master. One, following in the footsteps of the first. One, sent to bring the other two back. As the three Keyblade wielders traverse the many worlds, they come face-to-face with a threat that may affect the hearts of the very worlds themselves. A novelization of Birth By Sleep, chronologically first in the Dark Seekers Saga.
1. Prologue: Dive into the Heart

**Author's Notes:**

First off, thanks for taking the time to read my story! It's my first, so constructive criticism would be welcomed.

This came about as an idea I had when bored in class. I started writing out the cutscene "Another Side, Another Story" and then I had the idea to write out the entire Kingdom Hearts series, so here we are.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything pertaining to Kingdom Hearts; it belongs to Square Enix and Disney.

And without any further ado, let's begin.

* * *

**Part I: The Fall ~Birth by Sleep~**

**Prologue: Dive into the Heart**

* * *

**_Destati! Tendi la mano_**

**_E' giunta l'ora, destati_**

**_Le porte verrano schiuse..._**

_Awaken! Extend your hand_

_The time is now, wake up!_

_The doors will open…_

-Destati

* * *

(The Badlands)

When Ventus chose to take up the Keyblade, this was not what he had signed up for. Master Xehanort had painted a picture of visiting exotic, awe-inspiring locales, fighting evil like the heroes in the bedtime stories he vaguely remembered. Instead, he was way out of his league, trying to fend off both the forbidding heat of the desert and a group of weird, shadowy creatures while his master looked on.

Tears stung the back of his eyes; this wasn't fair. He was only 10, he shouldn't have to fight for his life already!

"Please don't do this, Master. I'm not strong enough!"

Xehanort looked down from his perch on a nearby ledge with cold golden eyes. "No. It is because you are trying to hold it in. Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now. Sharpen your fear into rage!"

A few more creatures appeared, and slowly the circle started closing in on the terrified boy.

"You must! If you don't let the storm within you run its course, it will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake! Do it. Embrace the darkness." He raised his arms to the sky as he shouted "Produce for your master the χ-blade!"

Ven shook his head mutely, trying to hold back the tears. Xehanort's fists closed.

The shadows attacked.

* * *

(Destiny Islands)

The salaryman was no stranger to sleepless nights. His work was his passion, and sometimes little things like sleep were forgotten in the rush of work. Tonight, however, he was lying awake in a hospital instead of at his desk, and his stomach was knotted in a way that would not be conducive to any kind of work.

But all things pass, and finally he was invited into the delivery room to hold his son for the first time.

He asked his wife "So what's his name?"

She closed her eyes, remembering stories she'd heard as a child, legends that resonated with her even as an adult. _Many worlds, but they all share the same sky…_

"Sora. His name is Sora."

* * *

(The Badlands)

Xehanort didn't have time for this. Ventus was weak, that much had been obvious from the start, but there was another way to achieve his goals. His plans always had multiple routes.

He walked over to Ven's comatose body, having already banished the Neoshadows. "Really? You would rather die than use the power? Feckless neophyte."_ But what was I expecting?_ "If I must, I will extract the darkness from within you myself." So saying, he summoned his Keyblade and fired a beam at Ven's chest, unlocking his heart and releasing the darkness within. The boy bucked wildly, his eyes shooting open, as the darkness removed itself from his body and coalesced into a masked boy. Xehanort could feel the darkness radiating off of him. _Good, good._

"Empty creature from Ventus riven, to you, the name Vanitas shall be given."

"Yes, master." Now _this_ was a model apprentice - powerful, obedient, willing to tap into the darkness… But what was he going to do with Ventus? The boy's light was quickly fading; he would soon be an empty shell. It was time to find him a place to rest, he at least deserved that much.

And what better place than his own boyhood home?

* * *

(Destiny Islands)

Ven's body, shrouded in white, made a strange figure, draped over the bent paopu tree.

"An empty world, like a prison. I imagine you'll be right at home." He turned, looked out at the same ocean that had once trapped him, made to walk away.

_Hey, where am I? Who's there?_

Ventus dived. This ocean was different, though. He could breathe, he was moving on his own, the pressure wasn't crushing him, and a light was moving ever closer…

He flipped, landed on his feet on a wide, broken-looking platform of light.

_I'm a brand new heart. _The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, all at once.

"But this is—" _My heart..._

_The light brought me here. I could see it shining in the distance, and it brought me here._

"Yeah, that was my light," said Ven, bringing his hand to his bare chest—when had he lost his shirt…? "And now…the little I have left is slipping away."

_Then you should join your heart with mine!_

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the ocean turned warm, and the light expanded into a perfect circle of light.

_Now our hearts have touched. Nothing else will slip away. And one day, you'll be strong enough to win back the part that already did._

"Right. Thanks."

_It's time to wake up now._ _All we need to do is…_

"_Open the door…"_

The light exploded. Doves flew everywhere, and the platform was revealed to have a giant stained-glass portrait of…Ventus himself?

*X*

Ven's hand rose and his Keyblade appeared, shining with newfound light. Looks like the boy wasn't quite as dead as he seemed.

Under the hood, Xehanort smiled. Perfect.


	2. 1: Star Light, Stars Bright

**Author's Note:**

The prologue was a bit short, so I decided to publish the first chapter early. Enjoy!

I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Star Light, Stars Bright**

(Land of Departure)

Ventus' eyes were roving over the ceiling, jumping from crack to crack, straining to see in the dim light. He really should be sleeping right now, but sleep wouldn't come.

Of course, he knew exactly why he couldn't sleep: tomorrow was the Mark of Mastery exam for his two best friends, Terra and Aqua.

After tomorrow, they would be Keyblade Masters—he had no doubt they would pass the Mark of Mastery exam with flying colors—and then where would that leave him? He'd always been behind them, not as strong as Terra, not as proficient with magic as Aqua. But after tomorrow's exam, they'd be off doing whatever Keyblade Masters did, and he'd be alone.

The cracks in the ceiling seemed to brighten for a moment. Where was that light coming from…

"A meteor shower!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly, his earlier troubles all but forgotten in his childish enthusiasm. He swung down from his bed and sprinted out of his bedroom, navigating the maze-like halls of the castle with ease.

In no time at all, he had descended to the forecourt. "I can't see much from here," he groaned, noting how the castle seemed to be placed in just the right position to block most of the meteors from view. "So let's try the summit!" And he was off down the grassy mountain path.

Through the gate, over the bridge, and…hey, the training rings!

"I've got time to spare," said Ven, summoning his Wayward Wind in its familiar backhand position. Its dark blade was bent specifically so that Ven could swing backhand without losing any power, while the jagged key was designed to boost his reverse blows.

Without breaking stride, he smacked the bronze hanging ring a few times, practicing his aerial combos. After he had forced the ring to swing 90 degrees, he moved on to the next set of 4.

"What, you want a piece of me too?" he asked belligerently, spinning his Keyblade. After a few hits, the rings started rotating around the central post, so he waited for one to come around before unleashing a powerful spinning combo on it. "Wait, what am I messing around here for?"

Too impatient to take the long way around, he jumped up a series of ledges and sped to the summit. "I'm gonna miss the meteor shower!"

The grassy field he arrived in was deserted—maybe Aqua and Terra were sleeping? He'd tell them about it tomorrow, then. Ven sprawled on his back, hands behind his head in his trademark pose, and admired the meteor shower. But now that he was getting a good look at it, it seemed familiar somehow…

*X*

Ven opened his eyes.

_Wha—? Where am I—_

"_An empty—like a prison—right at home—"_

Meteors were still streaking across the sky.

_I must have fallen asleep._ He sat up, stretched, yawned, and flopped back down. _But what was that about—_"Whoa!"

His view of the meteors was blocked suddenly by the upside-down, laughing face of one of his best friends. He turned and pulled himself up into a kneeling position to properly address her.

"Give me a break, Aqua."

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead, you know you should have at least brought a blanket."

"But—did I dream that place up?" he said, unknowingly thinking out loud. Aqua raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "It really felt like I've been there before, looking up at the stars…" He flinched as she patted his head softly.

"'Cept you've always lived here with us."

"Yeah, I know…"

They sat down at a section of the edge that was missing its fence, knocked off when Terra had botched a Quake spell. For a time, it had been a popular spot for the three to dare each other to jump off and see how far they could fall before they called their Keyblade gliders. Then the Master found out and put a stop to it. Suddenly and decisively.

"Hey Aqua."

"Hm?"

"You ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?" It seemed as good a time as any to ask, considering they were staring at the sky.

"Hmm…well, they say—"

"That every star up there is another world." The deep, confident voice of Terra cut into Aqua's explanation. It looked like none of the apprentices would get much sleep tonight.

As Ven and Aqua turned to look at him, he continued, "Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own. The light is their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns." He walked to the edge, stopping to face Ven, who had turned around fully.

"What? I don't get it…"

"In other words, they're just like you, Ven."

Terra never passed up a chance to tease the blond apprentice. Ven knew that some kind of jibe was coming, but he had to ask: "What does _that_ mean?"

"You'll find out someday, I'm sure."

Oh, so he's going for the "Ven's an ignorant kid" approach.

"I wanna know now!" He wasn't helping his case much, but it was the middle of the night and could he really be blamed for not having the perfect response for every insult Terra threw at him?

"You're too young to know now!"

"Quit treating me like a kid!"

Aqua started laughing.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" asked Terra.

"I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers," she explained, still chuckling.

Despite their confusion, the boys couldn't help but laugh with her. Deciding that their argument was pointless, they joined Aqua on the ridge, where they sat in silence for a while.

Suddenly, Aqua jumped up, startling the other two. "Oh yeah, Terra and I have the Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow." She rummaged around in her pockets and pulled out three star-shaped pendants. "So I made us good luck charms! They're called Wayfinders." She tossed Terra the orange one and Ven accepted his green one with a surprised "I get one too?"

"Of course! One for each of us," she said, holding her blue star in the center of their impromptu circle. The other two followed suit. "Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit…" she began. Ven couldn't help but think that seemed familiar. "…and the fruit represents and unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other."

Ventus really, really hoped that that was true.

"Technically, you're supposed to make them with seashells, but I did the best with what I had."

"Oy, sometimes you were such a girl." Terra, insensitive as always.

"Hey, what do you mean, 'sometimes'?"

A thought struck Ven. "So this isn't a real good luck charm?"

"Well, that's yet to be seen. But I did work a little magic on it."

"Really? What?"

She grinned, holding it up. "An unbreakable connection!"

Terra pocketed his Wayfinder, walking to the center of the area. "Well, tomorrow's the exam. Anybody wanna spar?"

Ventus summoned his Keyblade in a flash of light and settled into a ready stance. "I can take ya!"

Terra's strong, solid Keyblade, Earthshaker, appeared in his hand as Aqua walked off to the side to watch.

As usual, Ven was the first to strike, charging at Terra with a fierce cry. Terra brought his Keyblade in front of him to block Ven's downward strike and quickly spun it to stab him while he staggered back from the block. Ven turned his momentum into a backroll, ducking neatly under the blade, and threw his spinning Keyblade at Terra, who slid to the side to dodge.

Aqua watched the back-and-forth exchange with interest, noting the strengths and weaknesses of both of their fighting styles. It might come in handy tomorrow…

"Quit going easy on me," Ven taunted, spinning his Keyblade, which he had dematerialized and re-summoned to his hand. "You're not gonna win unless you stay on the offensive!"

Terra smirked, jumping high to give his downward strike the added force of gravity. Ven barely got out of the way in time. Terra continued to press his attack, forcing Ven through a series of dizzying acrobatics as they made their way around their makeshift arena. Hopefully this would teach him a lesson about giving advice to his opponents.

After observing Terra's finishing blow—a spinning blow connected to a dropping strike—Aqua decided to step in. "That works fine if you're fighting one-on-one, but you need to know how to handle a crowd, too." Rainfell, her Keyblade, appeared in a flash of rose petals as Terra stepped back, right on cue.

Ventus charged again—hadn't he learned his lesson from last time?—and Aqua cartwheeled out of the way of his slash. Ven shot forward in a sliding stab but she jumped onto his blade, launched herself over his head in a graceful flip, and spun 180 degrees to face his back. While still in the air, she took careful aim and released a stream of low-powered bubbles that sent him flying.

Ven picked himself up and made to charge again, but Terra stepped into the middle, Keyblade ready. "Okay, let's wrap this up!"

The mayhem started when Aqua launched a fire blast at Terra, who was charging at Ven, who had just thrown his Keyblade at Aqua. It ended after about 10 minutes of temporary alliances, betrayals, flying Keyblades and flying apprentices.

"Trust me, you guys are ready," said Ven, breathing heavily. "You're gonna clean up at the exam tomorrow!"

"I hope it's that easy," Terra said doubtfully.

"It's like the Master said: Power is born within the heart. When the time is right, you just need to look inside yourself and you'll find it there," said Aqua.

Ventus nodded.

"Hey, we're gonna head back," sad Terra.

"Yeah, me too!" said Ven, running after them.

Aqua took one last look at the meteor shower, clutching her Wayfinder tightly. "Together…always."

_That would be the last night we ever spent beneath the same stars…_

Ven shook his head, trying to clear it. _Now where did _that_ come from?_

* * *

(Twilight Town, Mysterious Tower)

King Mickey was _not_ having a good day. Master Yen Sid was…enigmatic at best, but what exactly did he have to learn from surfing on a book in a whirlpool? All that Yen Sid had said was something about finding balance in your heart—he wasn't sure—but there really had to be better ways of finding balance than avoiding drowning.

Unsurprisingly, thinking about how stupid the exercise was did nothing to help his performance in said exercise, which was why the King suddenly found himself being sucked in. He'd dealt with rough seas on that old steamboat, but nothing like this…

Just when his head sank beneath the waves, the water spat him out, and the landscape changed. The dark, stormy sky above was replaced with the low ceiling of the Magician's Study, and, rather more worryingly, the water below became the hard, unforgiving floor—

Ouch.

Yen Sid sighed deeply, looking preoccupied, which was good, because he probably wasn't going to dwell much on that embarrassing failure...

"Mickey…" He braced himself for the inevitable lecture.

"I cannot shake the feeling something terrible is about to transpire."

Simultaneously relieved and worried, Mickey looked out at the twinkling stars. _What…what does he think will happen?_


	3. 2: Mark of Mastery

**Author's Note:**

Here's the next chapter.

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Mark of Mastery**

(Land of Departure)

The Mark of Mastery exam was starting in a few minutes, and Ventus was bored. Excited, yes, nervous, definitely, but bored. His eyes moved over the nervous faces of Terra and Aqua, up to the beautiful stained-glass window that was letting in the morning light, panned left to the head of the audience room, and—

He immediately looked down, not expecting Xehanort's golden eyes to be staring right back at him. Ven knew he was a Keyblade master and a trusted friend of Master Eraqus, but he gave off a bad vibe, what with his black-and-red color scheme and his unreadable expressions…Not to mention he had the feeling that they had met somewhere before.

Then the Master started walking forward, and Ven snapped to attention.

"Today, you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery." Eraqus' soothing voice echoed through the almost empty audience chamber. "Not one but two of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy—not a test of wills, but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither."

Ven had heard most of this speech already, and he couldn't wait for the day when it would be said to _him_.

"But I am sure our guest, Master Xehanort, did not travel all this way to see our youngest prospects in years fall short of the Mark." Xehanort nodded sagely.

"I trust you are ready."

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"Then let the examination begin!" Eraqus summoned his Keyblade, Master Keeper, in ready position. The blade radiated light, and several orbs of light winked into existence behind Terra and Aqua, who spun to face them, Keyblades ready.

Xehanort made a small gesture, unnoticed by anyone.

The orbs of light crackled with dark lightning as a corona of darkness surrounded them. Eraqus, surprised, made to call them off, but Terra and Aqua charged as one and started destroying the darkened orbs. They missed one, which started drifting towards Ven, but a quick slice from his Wayward Wind remedied that.

"Don't worry about me," he said, annoyed—he wasn't a kid anymore, dammit… "You two focus on the exam."

"But Ven, you're in danger here! Go wait in your room." said Aqua.

_Yeah, right!_

"No way! I've been looking forward to this—seeing you two become Masters. I'm not gonna miss it now!"

"He can take care of himself," said Terra. "He's been out there training just as long as us."

"Yeah!"

Aqua sighed. "Stay sharp, Ven!"

The three of them attacked the orbs ferociously, making quick work of them with synchronized attacks.

After the last orb of light was destroyed, Eraqus stepped forward. "That was unexpected, but one must keep a still heart even in the most trying of circumstances. It was an excellent test, one I chose to let unfold. Which brings us to your next trial!"

They knew exactly what to do, having dreamed of this moment for years. Aqua walked to the opposite side of the area and turned around to face Terra, who stepped forward.

"Now, Aqua and Terra, the two of you will face each other in combat. Remember there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed."

The two apprentices took ready stances, tensed and waiting, until the master shouted "Begin!"

They charged at each other, Terra swinging his Keyblade in powerful arcs that Aqua skillfully parried—she knew she couldn't match him strength-for-strength.

She nimbly flipped back as Terra unleashed a powerful combo, waiting until a moment when she knew he would be open—there! Rainfell slashed upward, fell back, and stabbed forward, missing Terra's face by inches as the larger apprentice jumped back.

Xehanort grinned.

As Aqua ran forward to press her advantage, Terra tried to ready a spell, but stopped when he noticed a dark aura around his hand.

Darkness, according to their master, was something to be avoided at all costs. They were beings of light, sworn to protect it from the forces of darkness that would stop at nothing to destroy it. Even though most beings had some inner darkness, he was taught to suppress it, make sure he never used it.

So why was he calling on that which he hated?

Terra got his Keyblade up just in time to block Aqua's strike, deciding to worry about such things later.

*X*

After the battle, Eraqus stepped forward again.

"We have deliberated and reached a decision. Terra, Aqua, you both performed commendably."

Terra thought his choice of words was odd; that was the kind of thing you said when you were trying to let someone down nicely…

"However, only Aqua has shown the Mark of Mastery."

Why did he have to be right?

"Terra, you failed to keep the darkness within you sufficiently in check."

_But I forced it down the second I noticed—_

"But there is always next time. That is all."

Eraqus' next words almost didn't register in Terra's head, with the mixed emotions running through it: happiness that Aqua had passed, anger at the Master for using such flimsy reasoning to deny him the Mark, anger at himself for not hiding his darkness better…

"Aqua, as our newest Keyblade Master, you are entitled to certain knowledge. Please wait here for further instruction." With that, Eraqus turned to follow Xehanort.

Aqua reached out to him. "Hey…"

Ven ran up at the same moment. "Terra, I'm sorry."

Maybe they could tell him. "The darkness. Where did it come from?" But silence was their only answer.

He shook his head. "Sorry. I just need some time alone." With that, he walked off.

*X*

Xehanort stopped at the bottom of the stairs. "What do you make of Ventus?"

"He ain't gonna cut it," replied Vanitas dismissively, helmet in hand. "Somebody's gotta break that loser in."

"Not here, you won't. I have to keep up appearances." Xehanort continued.

Vanitas shot his Master a dirty look as he put his mask back on, adjusting it slightly to fully cover his spiky hair. "I know that. He just needs a little incentive to leave home."

*X*

Terra sat at the bottom of the castle stairs, reflecting.

"I know I'm strong enough to hold it back." After all, he'd forced it down when Aqua was attacking him, he'd be able to suppress it anytime! Why couldn't his Master see that?

"Yes…you are indeed strong." Terra jumped up, whirling to see Master Xehanort smiling at the top of the stairs. "The darkness is nothing to fear. And yet…how frustrating that Eraqus refutes its power."

_Because it's trying to destroy the light! …Right?_

Xehanort started walking down the stairs. "Why, you could train with him forever and still…you'd never be a Master in his eyes."

Terra felt the blow as if Xehanort had driven his Keyblade through his chest. _That can't be true. I'm just as strong as Aqua. I can fight the darkness!_

"But why? Help me understand, Master Xehanort! What is it that I have failed to learn?"

Xehanort passed him at the bottom of the stairs. "You're fine as you are."

_But then why—_

"Darkness cannot be destroyed. It can only be channeled."

_So then I can be a Master! All I have to do is show him I can hold back the darkness._

Terra snapped to attention. "Yes. Thank you, Master."

The bell at the top of the castle's tallest tower started ringing.

_What's going on? That bell only rings when there's an emergency that threatens the stability of the worlds!_

Terra sped up the stairs. If he had looked back, he would have seen Xehanort enter a corridor of darkness.

*X*

Ven lay in bed, swinging the wooden Keyblade that was his gift from Terra. Aqua was getting her "certain knowledge" from the Master, and Terra was who knows where…

Then the alarm bell started ringing. Ven jumped out of bed, still holding his wooden Keyblade, and made for the door.

"Better hurry, Ventus…" The voice was deep, mocking…familiar.

"Huh? Who are you?" he asked, spinning to face the intruder. _And how did he get in here without me seeing him?_ His unwanted guest was a boy his height, wearing a black and red bodysuit and a mask.

"…or you'll never see Terra again."

"What? Get real. I can see Terra anytime I want!"

"Like right now? He's leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up…he'll be a different person."

_He's not leaving me behind. He can't be. _"Look—whoever you are—you don't know the first thing about Terra. Me and him will always be a team. Are you trying to pick a fight, or what?" He brought his wooden Keyblade to the ready position.

"Oh, grow up. Is that what you call friendship?" The masked boy's derisive tone was really getting on his nerves. "You'll never know the truth unless you go out and look for it yourself." The intruder turned to face him. "Come on, what could you possibly know when you're stuck here, looking at nothing but what's in your tiny world?" With that, the boy disappeared into a ball of darkness.

Ven thought back to his memories of Terra—training in the forecourt, the older boy comforting him, laughing with him…there was no way Terra would ever leave him behind.

Was there?

He turned and sprinted out of the castle.

*X*

Terra pulled up short next to Aqua in the audience chamber. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but why isn't Ven here?"

Eraqus was behind the central throne, talking to a pulsing crystal. Terra knew that this was a connection to the legendary master Yen Sid. What could be so important that Yen Sid had to get involved?

"Very well then. I will send my pupils to investigate. Yes, I understand. Farewell."

Aqua and Terra snapped to attention as the Master turned to face them.

"That was my dear old friend Yen Sid. As you know, he is a Master no more, but he still keeps a close eye on the tides of light and darkness. His counsel serves as signposts on the road we wielders of the Keyblade must walk. All the more reason, then, for concern—for he tells me the princesses of heart are in danger."

The 7 princesses of heart—7 women whose hearts were completely devoid of darkness, and, if gathered together, were capable of opening the door to the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts. This _was_ something worthy of the tolling bell.

"Not only from the forces of darkness, as you may assume, but also from a new threat—one that feeds on negativity."

_Negativity?_

"Fledgling emotions that have taken monster form—Yen Sid calls them the 'Unversed.'" He looked at both of them in turn. "As wielders of the Keyblade, you are tasked with striking down any who would upset the balance of light and darkness. The Unversed are no exception. I tried to pass this news on to Master Xehanort, but my repeated attempts to reach him have failed. I doubt there is any connection, and yet…This all troubles me."

"Master Xehanort…is gone?" asked Terra. Aqua looked at him, concerned—the hitch in his voice when he said the Master's name had not gone unnoticed by her.

But Eraqus continued regardless. "So here we are. I need you two to get this situation under control. Eliminate the Unversed, and find Master Xehanort. I have unlocked the Lanes Between. You may use these forbidden pathways to travel between this world and countless others. The darkness looms closer than usual within these spaces, but your armor will protect you."

_Maybe in the Lanes I can practice channeling the darkness like Master Xehanort said?_

"Lastly, remember that order must be kept. You cannot tell anyone there are other worlds. Now go, and fulfill your duty."

"Yes, Master," they chorused.

Terra turned and started to walk away, but stopped when the Master called his name. He turned around to face Eraqus, who said "Consider this an opportunity. A second chance for you to change my mind."

"What?" Still in his dejected frame of mind, Terra hadn't fully registered the Master's words.

"You must know, I care for you like my own son," said Eraqus, walking down the stairs. "If I could have my way, I would name you Master in a second. But how can I when you are so obsessed with power?"

_Since when is seeking strength a bad thing?_

"Terra, you mustn't be afraid of losing. Fear leads to obsession with power, and obsession beckons the darkness." He placed a hand on Terra's shoulder, looked deep into his eyes. "You must never forget."

Terra bowed. "Thank you, Master." In the end, his Master was his Master, and he'd never been wrong before. He would take Eraqus's lesson to heart—but if he dabbled a little bit in darkness, who would know? He could control it.

"I swear…I will not fail you again."

Aqua watched Terra go, worried. There was something about the way he talked just now that made her feel uneasy. She brushed away her nameless fears, though; she couldn't let those get in the way of completing her mission. And Terra could handle himself…right?

"Master, I'd best be on my way." As Ventus crossed the audience chamber at a dead sprint—_What's up with him?_—the Master asked her to wait.

"Before you depart, I have one other…well, call it a request, of the utmost priority."

"Yes?"

"I told Terra this could be a second chance to show the Mark of Mastery, and I meant it. However, that flicker of darkness he displayed during the examination—I can sense it runs very deep." So Eraqus had noticed Terra's discomfort. "If he were to—If those powers were to prove too much for him to handle, I want you to bring him back to me at once. It's for his own good. I could not bear to lose any of you to the darkness."

And he wanted her to make sure that Terra never fell to the darkness. The weight of that responsibility weighed on her heavily, but—"I would never let that happen," she replied, and meant it. "I promise you I will bring Terra back. Only this time, you'll see he has what it takes to be a Master."

She turned to leave the throne room with one final remark. "He's not as weak as you think."

*X*

Ventus sped down the front stairs, yelling "Terra!" The boy in question turned around and watched Ven skid to a stop, panting.

"I—I—" Ven could hardly get a coherent sentence out.

Terra ruffled his hair. "It's okay."

_Dammit Terra, I'm not a kid!_ But then Terra smiled at him, and suddenly all was forgiven.

The taller teen turned around and smacked his fist against the armor piece that he wore. A burst of light, and suddenly Terra was clad in a wolf-like red suit of armor, Keyblade in hand. The Keyblade pointed to the sky, Terra released a bolt of light that coalesced into a round hole through which Ven could see stars. Terra then tossed the Keyblade backward, high into the air, and when it came down, it was a hoverbike that the he could jump on. Ven watched in awe—that was the coolest way he'd seen the glider be summoned yet! To complete the performance, Terra did a circle around the forecourt and sped into the hole, which Ven knew was one of the Lanes Between.

_Whatever's going on must be serious if the Master's unlocked the Lanes…_

The masked boy's voice came back to him. "_You'll never see Terra again."_

_Screw that!_

Ven tapped his own armor plating, summoning his blue armor. His Keyblade flew into the air—somehow he couldn't manage Terra's effortless backhand throw—and came down as a hoverboard, which Ven rode into the Lane that Terra had just entered.

Aqua, witness to all this, cried out Ventus's name in vain. The Master skidded to a stop beside her, saying "No! He mustn't!" in the most worried tone that Aqua had ever heard him use.

Eraqus turned to her. "You have to bring him back!"

"Don't worry, Master!" Aqua summoned her armor and glider, and entered the Lane as well.

Little did they know that they were beginning an adventure that would span many worlds, test their friendships, and shake the foundation of the universe itself.

* * *

Next chapter in The Fall, Terra makes landfall in the Enchanted Dominion, home of Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty.


	4. 3: Call of Darkness

**Author's Note:**

And here's chapter 3.

On another note, I'd really appreciate it if readers could leave constructive criticism for me - I'm not the best writer, and I would love to get tips to improve.

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Call of Darkness**

(Enchanted Dominion)

The forest had been there for many, many years. It had seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms and men. Yet today, it was in for a new experience as the world started rumbling. Leaves left their perches on high branches and began their slow descent to the ground. Fish started swimming as far away from the disturbance as possible.

At the center of it all was a crackling ball of light, out of which walked Terra, who shed his armor quickly. He took a moment to observe the pristine beauty that surrounded him. _The worlds are really amazing, aren't they?_

_-zwip-_

A small sound, similar to the birds' chirping. But Terra's sharp ears recognized it as something unnatural, otherworldly. He turned to face the source of the noise, a small, darting, dark blue creature.

"Monsters? The ones the Master mentioned—these are the Unversed." As more of them appeared, he readied his Keyblade for the first bout with these monsters. With a loud cry, he brought Earthshaker down on the monster, only to stumble forward as he didn't meet the expected resistance. The little monster had sunk into the ground somehow, and the blob it had become passed under his feet and through his shadow. _What the—_

He leaped to the side as another one charged at him, intent on slicing him with its tiny claws. Mid-flight, his Keyblade stabbed sideways, destroying the creature and causing it to explode in a puff of dark blue smoke. His jump nearly landed him in the lake, however, and he stumbled, trying to regain his footing. The Unversed took that opportunity to try and mob him, but—

"Stun Edge!" The tip of his Keyblade crackled with electricity as the weapon traced a deadly arc through the air, slicing through every Unversed it touched. That left one—the first one that had passed under him. It tried nothing like that now, simply opting to charge at him, claws outstretched. Unversed met Keyblade, and Keyblade won. _For all their ferocity, these guys aren't very smart, are they?_

That was when the fireball skimmed the top of his head, singing his hair. Terra instinctively ducked, slid sideways, and turned in one smooth motion to see—flying red pots…?

A searing heat struck his left side, sending him flying. He quickly cast a Blizzard to put out the flames, then glared at the now-flaming Unversed that had attacked him.

"Alright, that's it." With that, he focused on his physical attacks: strong, slow strikes that sent enemies reeling. In doing so, he activated one of the techniques that the Master had taught them: the Command Style.

When the apprentices used techniques pertaining to a certain category, they could focus and strengthen those attacks even more by entering a Command Style based on that category. However, this only lasted a short time, and it took a while for them to be able to use it again.

But in his irritation, Terra disregarded the cooldown and entered the only command style he currently knew: Critical Impact.

He glowed with an orange light, and the strength that coursed through his muscles made him feel like he could jump over the Land of Departure's castle. He turned his sights on the offending Unversed. One-two-three strikes and the second wave was dispatched.

"That it?"

A shockwave shook the entire area and almost knocked Terra off his feet.

"Guess not."

A massive Unversed stood in the middle of the clearing, swinging its fists belligerently. _Oh, it thinks it's strong?_

Terra ran towards his foe, swinging his Keyblade in an arc that would bring it into contact with one of the huge fists. Keyblade met Unversed, and again the Keyblade—strengthened with Critical Impact—won. The blue smoke cleared to reveal two more of those annoying pots and two of a new kind of Unversed, taller than the small ones he had fought in the beginning.

Terra was well aware that Critical Impact's time was running out, so he jumped high into the air. When he landed, his Keyblade slammed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that obliterated the 4 Unversed.

That was the cue for three_ more_ Unversed to show up, one big guy and two of the annoying small ones.

"How many of these things _are_ there?"

The big one charged and Terra barely got out of the way in time. Like a matador, he spun, sending his Keyblade slicing into the back of the Unversed. This time, without Critical Impact to increase the force, the Unversed didn't die, but instead skidded forward on its stomach. Terra took the opportunity to destroy one of the small ones, then ready himself for the next attack.

The big one jumped, and its landing created a shockwave similar to the one Terra had created earlier. But Terra jumped as well, avoiding the shockwave, and on the way down—"Quick Blitz!"—he brought his Keyblade crashing down on the Unversed's head, slicing it in two. One quick stab to finish off the last one, and the clearing was finally silent, save for the sound of Terra's breathing.

-_zwip-_

The small sound caught Terra's attention, as it was the sound that had started the entire fight. He turned to see one of the small ones—Terra decided to name it "Flood", as "small one" was getting old—scurrying away from the clearing.

"No you don't!" he exclaimed, readying his Keyblade and rushing after the newly-christened Flood. His single-minded chase finally brought victory as his Keyblade crashed down unto the stone floor, destroying the Flood—_Wait, stone? When did I get to a paved road?_

Terra looked up.

The largest castle he had ever seen looked down on him. It was easily twice as big as the castle he called home, with myriad towers and beautiful architecture. Terra looked down to see that he had run out of the forest and onto the bridge that led straight into the castle.

He shifted his gaze forward, and started. _When did that person get there?_

A cloaked person stood on the bridge in front of him, seemingly oblivious to his presence. The lack of distinguishing features made it impossible for Terra to tell anything about them. All he knew was that the person was holding a staff—maybe they were a wizard of some kind?

_Might as well ask._

As he approached, the woman—now he saw that she was a woman with green-tinted skin and black eyes—turned to him, surprised, and said "What's this? Why aren't you asleep, boy? That fool Flora cast a spell to put everyone in this castle into a deep, deep slumber."

"Who are you?" asked Terra. This woman rubbed him the wrong way, for whatever reason, and so he decided to be blunt.

"Why, I am Maleficent, as all who dwell in this kingdom would know."

_Oh crap, she might figure out I'm not from here…_

"Now you must reciprocate the introduction. Who are you?"

"I'm Terra." _I'll see if I can get any information out of her._ "What do you know about those monsters—the ones that attacked me?"

She turned and walked towards the side of the bridge. "Hmph. Now why would I give a thought to creatures so base…so inconsequential?"

Terra chuckled, remembering his earlier fight. "They are base, that's for sure." _Task at hand, Terra._ "Anyway, I'm looking for someone. Ever heard of a man named Xehanort?"

The woman paused for a second. "That name is not familiar to me. Is he an outsider, like yourself?" Another pause. "Oh, but wait. I do remember someone leaving the castle."

"Tell me, what was he doing there?"

"I couldn't say… I can only be certain he's not from this kingdom. If you're curious, go see the castle yourself. There"—she pointed—"the entrance is just past the bridge."

"Thanks." Terra started running towards the castle, but he still caught Maleficent's last words.

"Perhaps he did speak, about imprisoning 'the light'…" That caused him to stop short. "The light could be so many things…Could he have meant Princess Aurora?"

"Aurora," Terra repeated, committing the name to memory before he dashed off towards the castle. Behind him, Maleficent disappeared in a flash of green flame.

*X*

After fighting his way through more Unversed, Terra entered the massive entrance hall. It was much bigger than the audience chamber in the Land of Departure. _Jeez, where do I go from here?_

He noticed a spiraling staircase on the right side of the hall. That seemed as good a place to start as any.

Up the stairs, a left, a right, another left—Terra's head was spinning. Even though he knew the Land of Departure's castle like the back of his hand, this place was really confusing. The Unversed fighting him every step of the way really wasn't helping his concentration.

After many twists and turns, he finally reached a door wreathed in black, malicious-looking flame. This had to be it. As he had been taught, he jumped back, sending a beam of light from his Keyblade into the door. The flames disappeared, leaving a large double door in its place. Terra stepped inside, looked around, and started upon seeing the room's sole occupant.

She was extremely pretty, with her entire being looking peaceful in her slumber. He remembered Maleficent saying that everyone in the castle had been put to sleep. This girl, it seemed, wasn't an exception. He walked to her bedside.

"This feels so familiar…"

"Her heart is filled with light—not the slightest touch of darkness." Terra whirled to face the speaker—how did Maleficent get in here? "Just the kind of heart I need."

That sentence set him on edge. Someone who needed a heart filled with light? What purpose would that serve?

_Well, why not ask her?_

"For what?"

"Imagine with me, the most glorious of futures…" Maleficent said, her voice suddenly becoming wistful. "Seven of the purest hearts, each overflowing with light. When brought together, they grant the power to rule all worlds."

_She knows about other worlds? And she wants to rule them using the princesses of heart? Is this the threat that the Master told us about? I should make sure._

"What do you mean?"

"Why, that key you hold…the Keyblade, is it called?"

_Alright, she knows too much._ He summoned his Keyblade and assumed a ready stance, saying "Where did you learn that name?"

"That trinket"—_trinket?_—"is the only way to obtain the hearts."

This woman had obviously evil intentions, and Terra was growing impatient with the interrogation.

"No more games. Where is Master Xehanort?"

"Impudence will get you nowhere, child. If you wish to learn more, you must retrieve the heart of Aurora."

_She wants me to pull this girl's heart out. Yeah right._

"And why would I ever want to do that?"

"It's not a question of 'why', but of will." She placed her free hand on her staff, and a green flame burst into life around her. "In your heart, there is darkness just waiting to be awakened."

The green flame spread to Terra, covering his body.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said haltingly.

"Perhaps not yet, but I have power over sleep. And I can awaken what's inside you."

_What's inside me? _Terra's emotions were boiling over, and his body felt like he was sinking into a cold lake. What was she doing to him?

"Then you will be free to be who you truly are."

*X*

Master Eraqus was looking deep into his eyes. "Remember that darkness lurks in every heart."

Moving forward emphatically. "Darkness is our foe!"

Looking into the distance. "Would that we could be rid of it."

Keyblade at the ready. "You must destroy it!"

Another ready stance. "Push the darkness down—give it no quarter in your heart."

Terra's eyes closed.

*X*

Terra's eyes opened, but instead of their normal black hue, his pupils were now deep blue. As if in a trance, Terra's Keyblade activated, and Aurora's heart drifted away from her body and into Maleficent's waiting hands.

"Here it is, just what I've waited for." Green flame was consuming the pure heart.

Near the bed, Terra's pupils became black again.

"To think that all he spoke of was and will be true."

His head was on _fire_ . "What was I…" He started upon seeing Aurora's still form. She was breathing, but her light—Terra whirled to face Maleficent, snarling "What did I do? What did _you_ do?"

The heart was gone from the witch's hands. "You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings. No, you couldn't be further from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the darkness you already held inside."

_So…Master Eraqus was right, then. I'm not fit to be a Master. _His fists slammed into Aurora's bedside, as if punching the very darkness itself. "How could I _do_ this?" Aurora's still form held no reply, but as he watched her, she morphed into _Ventus_ for a split second—

"Yes," said Maleficent, slowly walking towards him. "Now you want to know where Xehanort went. Well, that I cannot answer. He disappeared into the darkness." Just like that, his lead was gone. "But now I know the Keyblade is necessary to gather hearts. Join me. Collect six more hearts of pure light. The we will rule all the worlds together!"

Even after this shock, he was still certain of one thing—his duty. "You seem to be mixed up. I'm a peacekeeper, not a tyrant." Yes, even if he wasn't Master material, he could still be a Keyblade wielder.

Earthshaker shimmered into the world. And then the earth shook.

"Hmm, for a peacekeeper, you're off to an exceptionally poor start. Remember this—the darkness in your heart cannot be held back by force or strength. Now my work here is done, as is yours. Wasn't there someone you needed to chase?" With that final remark, green flames erupted around her—

"Wait!" he roared, bringing the Keyblade down—but she was already gone, leaving nothing but her mocking laughter behind.

* * *

Next chapter: Boss Battle number 1!


	5. 4: Playful Trickster

**Author's Note:**

This one's kinda short, as it only includes the boss battle and immediate aftermath. I would love feedback on how I wrote this scene.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

And without any further ado, let's go!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Playful Trickster**

The castle was shaking as if it were about to topple into the chasm below. Terra knew the cause.

"The Unversed—they're going to bring down the castle." He shoved down the storm of emotions churning within him as a result of his failure. That could be dealt with later. But right now—"I have to do something!"

He charged down the halls, trying to reverse his earlier path and failing miserably. He only managed to get more and more turned around, and even more Unversed were blocking his path. All the while the castle was shaking, shaking.

But he eventually made it to the audience chamber and sprinted down the stairs to see—

* * *

_Giant Unversed_

_Fledgling Playfulness:_

**Wheel Master**

* * *

The Unversed that was bringing the house down was a massive bastardized spinning wheel that looked like it had been created from children's toys. Its "spine" was connected to one limb that held a spool of thread and another limb that was attached to the axle of a giant wheel. One leg bent outward from the spine while two others were attached to the spine by a massive piece of what looked like wood. Its movements were jerky, imprecise, and frankly creepy.

But it was something he could fight with the Keyblade. No darkness to hold back, no wicked witches tempting you to the path of ruin. Just you, your enemy, and your skills.

He charged straight up to the monstrosity and the battle began.

The Wheel Master jumped high into the air. Knowing that the shockwave it would create when it came down would be immense, Terra timed his jump to avoid it. However, the Unversed then aimed its thread at Terra's landing point. _What's that going to—_

The thread wrapped around his body, binding him in place and slowly pulling him towards the rapidly spinning, sawing wheel.

—_do._ Terra was a strong warrior, so by flexing his muscles, he managed to escape the clutches of the thread and slide away just before the wheel came into contact with his flesh.

_Alright, ranged attacks then…_

"You want some?" he roared as he threw his Keyblade in a boomerang-like arc. As it flew back towards him, he charged towards the creature, jumped over the thread that had moved to engulf him again, and caught Earthshaker just in time to—"Quick Blitz!"—bring it down on his opponent's body. Noticing that the Wheel Master had brought its thread-arm back, Terra quickly dashed away, narrowly dodging a spinning slash.

He grinned. This was almost too easy. Focusing on his hard-hitting, powerful strikes, Terra activated Critical Impact. Time to finish this big guy off.

The Wheel Master jumped again, traveling quite a distance before crashing down in front of the warrior, who again jumped. In midair, Terra aimed a pair of strengthened slashes in an 'X' shape, which stunned the beast with the power of his Command Style. For the next few seconds, Terra whaled on the Wheel Master, showing no mercy as his strikes took a terrible toll on the Unversed's body.

Even after that massive onslaught, the monster still looked like it had some fight left in it. As it recovered, Terra backed away, watching it stomp its feet as if throwing a tantrum. _What's that about?_

That question was answered when it reared like a horse and charged straight at him.

Unprepared for the massive increase in speed, Terra took the hit head-on and slammed into the wall behind him.

Even though his head was ringing and his body was aching all over, he knew that the monster wouldn't pause in consideration of his weakness, so he instinctively threw himself sideways. That action was rewarded with the sound of the Wheel Master slamming into the wall, stunning itself.

Terra patted himself down, finally locating and chugging a potion. As his pain drifted away, bruises healing and cuts closing, he grinned. "Time to finish this."

He focused on the monster, imagining a targeting reticule in his head. After he had locked on, he unleashed one of his most powerful attacks: the Shotlock known as Sonic Shadow.

Shotlocks were powerful attacks that could only be activated through deep focus. The Master had said that some of the most powerful could clear an area of enemies in the blink of an eye. Terra's Shotlock was not that powerful, but it would do the job.

Terra wreathed himself in dark flame and charged.

One. The spool of thread broke in half.

Two. The thread-arm vanished altogether.

Three. The wheel's spinning became jerky, disjointed.

Four. The wheel exploded into blue smoke.

Five-six-seven-eight-nine-ten. The main body of the monster roared its final challenge before vanishing into the blue smoke that all Unversed eventually became.

* * *

Terra leaned against the wall, catching his breath. That Unversed was even tougher than he had thought, but now it wouldn't bring the castle down or harm the girl sleeping inside.

Speaking of the girl—

Terra made his meandering way back to her bedside. Her still form looked peaceful, with no indication that her heart no longer resided in her body.

"It's my fault her heart was stolen. It's because I was weak."

He sighed.

"I'm sorry."

She offered no reply.

"I'll get your light back—once I learn to stand up against the darkness." With that promise, Terra left the castle.

There was one more thing that he was worried about, however.

"Why would Master Xehanort imprison the light? The purest hearts of light—do they hold the answer?"

Determined to find out, Terra sprinted into the forest to enter the Lanes Between.

* * *

"Seven pure hearts, each completely void of darkness…Such a search may take some time."

But Maleficent, powerful witch that she was, had all the time in the worlds.

* * *

And there's the battle. Next time: Landfall in the Dwarf Woodlands.


	6. 5: Off to Work We Go

**Author's Note:**

And now we've got the first chapter after the Land of Departure that doesn't feature only Terra!

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Off to Work We Go**

(Dwarf Woodlands)

The room was cold and foreboding. Stone columns reached up to the high ceiling where they formed into the arches that held the building up. The walls and floor were also cold, grey stone. Most people would not like to reside in a room such as this.

Cut from the wall on one side was an ellipse-shaped depression, around which were the 12 signs of the Zodiac. In this space resided the sole occupant of this room.

The Magic Mirror.

It was said that this mirror could answer any question, solve any riddle. The answer it gave you, however, had the same chance of being indecipherable as it did of being useful.

The Queen had no such problems receiving its answers.

She entered the room, stepped up to the mirror, and began her incantation.

"Spirit of the Mirror!" she cried, raising her arms skyward and then crossing them in front of her. "Come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness I summon thee." Lightning began to crackle on the surface of the mirror. "Speak!" Flames burst into live behind the surface of the mirror as the Queen extended her arms outward again. "Show me thy face."

And what a face it was. A mask with empty holes where its eyes should be, a mouth that seemed to be caught in a perpetual sneer, and a long, thin nose. Its forehead cut off abruptly, leaving only a straight line where its hair should be.

He spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. "What wouldst thou know, my Queen?"

"Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" The Queen did not come here to solve some pressing policy matter or find out how to save her realm from dire threats. No, she uses the mirror merely to satisfy her own vanity and pride.

She knew the saying about pride and falls, but the rules didn't apply to her—she was the Queen!

"Famed is thy beauty, Majesty, but hold—a lovely maid I see. Alas, she is more fair than thee."

And thus the inevitable fall began.

"Alas for her! Reveal her name!" she ordered.

"Lips read as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow—" This was one of the mirror's famed riddle-answers. Those who could solve them left happy, while those who couldn't pondered them for what was often the rest of their lives.

The Queen solved it immediately. "Snow White!"

And Terra, who watched the whole scene unfold while hidden in the doorway, could barely hold in his awe. "A mirror that knows and sees everything. How 'bout that."

But the mirror wasn't finished. "The heart of Snow White doth shine bright. Beware, my Queen, the heart of light."

Terra furrowed his brows in thought. "Another one?" _Like Aurora?_ Then, remembering what Maleficent had said about Xehanort wanting to trap the light –"Wait, what if Master Xehanort is here?"

He said that last sentence a bit too loudly and gave his position away to the Queen, who shouted "Who goes there?"

_Ah well, better own it._ He strode in confidently, saying "My name is Terra. I'm looking for a man named Xehanort—Master Xehanort. I thought maybe you might have seen him."

"That name is of no consequence to me," she replied haughtily. And another lead, gone.

His business concluded, Terra made to walk away, but the Queen saw an opportunity.

"Ah, yes. I have a task for you. If you succeed, I will ask the Mirror where you might find this Master Xehanort."

Terra was skeptical. "And the mirror will know?"

"Do you dare to question me?" The queen's prideful nature asserted itself, and Terra saw that he was losing her.

"What is the task?"

The queen chuckled. "There is a young maid who resides in this castle." _The one with the heart of light, then._ "Her name is Snow White. Kill her." She produced a box out of nowhere. "And to make sure you do not fail, bring back her heart in this." She presented the box to him.

_What._ But Terra decided to play along—there was no point alienating her like he did with Maleficent. He took the box.

"Her heart…I don't understand. You're after the hearts of light too?"

The Queen stepped closer to him, causing Terra to take an involuntary half-step back. "What I demand is her life. I've had more than enough of her light." She turned and walked back towards the mirror.

"What did this maiden do to you?"

"That is no concern of yours. Now, heed my words. My radiance is all the light this kingdom needs."

_There's no reasoning with this one._ "Where can I find her?"

"Outside the castle, there is a glade of wildflowers. You are dismissed. Go now and seek her there."

_A heart of light…this Snow White is my best chance right now. Maybe she will lead me closer to Master Xehanort._

He held the box up. _But what if I—_Aurora's still form jumped to the forefront of his mind—_No. I won't let that happen._

Newly resolved, Terra left the room.

* * *

Ventus landed in a craggy canyon. He was surrounded by rock spires twice as tall as he was, but in the distance, he could see a lush green forest. This was definitely another world.

_Time to start looking for Terra._ He walked forward, absorbing his surroundings, and then stopped short as something very weird crossed his field of vision. Seven of the smallest men he'd ever seen were walking in single file. They all wore short, conical hats and carried tiny pickaxes.

"Wow!" Ven ran to the other side of the outcropping he was on to watch them pass. Before long, the seven dwarfs entered a small mining cave and left his sight.

With nothing better to do, Ven made to follow them.

-_zwip-_

Several Flood appeared in front of the confused apprentice. "What are these things?"

Then one of them leapt at him, claws outstretched, and managed to nick his cheek. Ven decided that finding out what those things were was secondary to destroying them for now, and Wayward Wind shimmered into being. While the Unversed were plentiful, they were weak, and so Ven had no trouble dispatching them with swift, sure strikes.

As he jumped down to the cave entrance, a larger Unversed appeared, swinging its fists. As it jumped high into the air, Ven cast one of his favorite spells. "Aero!" The resultant tornado sent it higher into the air, confusing it. As it came down, Ven timed his jump, and—"Quick Blitz!"—sent it slamming into the ground below, where it dissipated.

Business concluded, Ventus entered the mine. The entrance cave was studded with beautiful, shining gems. It seemed that the dwarves' job was to mine these gems, as they were smashing the walls with their pickaxes.

One of them, with glasses and a beard, turned and spotted Ven. "Huh? Who are you?"

"I'm Ventus! Call me Ven."

Another one turned, took one look at him, and immediately jumped to conclusions. "A diamond thief! Take cover, you fools!" At this signal, the seven dwarves scattered in different directions, deeper into the mine. At least, most of them did. The one with the purple hat ran straight into a wall and fell back, dazed.

Ven watched the scene, wondering how this simple introduction had gone so wrong. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"You didn't?" asked the biggest one of the group.

"You mean you're not here for our diamonds?" wheezed another.

"That's not nice, treating me like some kind of bad guy. I'm just trying to find a friend. His name is Terra. He's dressed kind of like me, about yea tall—" he stretched on his tiptoes to get his hand as high as he could reach, but he was interrupted before he could continue the description.

"Sounds like a tall tale to me!" said one. "Go on, git!"

"We don't know any Terra," said another, who sounded like he had a stuffed nose. Ven scratched the back of his head nervously. This was going about as badly as possible.

He decided to try one last time. "Please, could you come over here? I just want to talk."

The one who had originally labeled him a thief turned to the others. "Don't fall for it. Stay where you are!"

Ventus had finally had enough. "Alright. Then we'll do this the hard way." So saying, he chased the dwarves into the mine.

The inner chamber of the mine was much bigger than he'd thought; it would take a while to find all of the dwarves if they had gone to ground.

-_zwip-_

And it was filled with Unversed, too. Wayward Wind appeared, and Ven got to work.

* * *

Half an hour of searching and Unversed-hunting later, Ventus was finally rewarded with the sight of seven chagrined dwarves arranged in front of him.

"Come on, I'm telling you I'm no thief."

"Ha, that's what they all say!" Apparently the ornery one was determined to find him a thief. "Well, we're onto you!"

Ven sighed, exasperated. "Fine, I get it. You want me to leave, I'll leave." He turned and started to leave, but then a thought struck him. "Oh, could you tell me where I could find some other people around here?"

"There's a castle beyond the chorus—I mean the forest."

"Got it. Well, thanks!" With that, Ven finally left the mine and its strange inhabitants behind.

* * *

Next time: Both Terra and Ventus meet Snow White. If you're wondering where Aqua is, according to the timeline, both of the boys got through two worlds before she made her first landfall.


	7. 6: Snow White

**Author's Note:**

Sorry about the delay. I've been busier than I expected, but I'm back and I should be able to pick up the pace a little.

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Snow White**

(Dwarf Woodlands)

Terra made his way through the cold stone dungeons of the castle, destroying Unversed where they appeared and navigating the maze of platforms and gates that the architect had apparently decided was a must-have for his dungeon. After a fall into the stream of water that ran through the dungeon, Terra finally pulled himself out of the castle's underbelly, shielding his eyes from the sun as he emerged into what looked like the castle's courtyard. It was small, but warm-looking, with its brown brick walls and plant life growing all around. Definitely much better than the dungeons.

"This Snow White is outside the castle. I'd better find her." Terra said to himself. _But what if I end up stealing her heart, like I did Aurora's?_ He brought out the box that the Queen had given to him, staring intently at its heart-shaped lock. _No, I am stronger than that—than what Maleficent says I am. I will not fail._

He bypassed the locked doors that led into the castle proper, instead opting to exit through the large wooden doors set into the courtyard's outer wall.

A dirt path led Terra through some trees and into a field, where he heard the faint sound of singing. At the other side of the field, a girl wearing a blue and yellow dress with a red cloak was gathering flowers and singing.

"I wonder if that's her."

He walked up behind the girl, who turned to look at him. Her large brown eyes met Terra's, and he was surprised to see that she hadn't even reacted to his sudden presence.

"Oh hello, who are you?" she asked, her voice curious.

"Aren't you startled?" said Terra, confused.

She got up from her crouching position, setting the flowers she had gathered on the ground. "Should I be?" she asked.

_She's very trusting. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but her heart is definitely pure light. She's the one._ His hand came to rest on the pocket where the box resided, but he quickly moved his hand away.

This action did not go unnoticed by Snow White. "Is something the matter?"

_Task at hand, Terra. _"Does the name Xehanort mean anything to you?"

The girl thought for a second, then replied, "Why...why no. I don't think I've ever heard that name."

_Am I ever going to find him?_ Terra despaired momentarily. "Now what?" he asked himself, scratching his chin absentmindedly.

_-zwip-_

Earthshaker shimmered into existence as more of the Flood materialized around the pair.

The girl recoiled in fear—whether at the Unversed or at Terra's sudden ready stance, he couldn't say—and sprinted off into the dense forest that Terra had noticed previously.

"Wait, don't go in there alone!" _There could be more in there—ugh._ Several Unversed moved to block his path, but they oddly displayed no interest in the fleeing girl. _So their goal is not the hearts of light, huh?_

But analysis could wait. "Out of my way!" he roared as Earthshaker began its deadly dance.

* * *

The rocky canyon that housed the dwarves' diamond mine soon gave way to a dense forest. Even though Ventus knew that it was around midday, the trees were thick enough that he could barely see the sunlight. Luckily, there was a beaten dirt path, so he decided to follow that—it would probably lead him through the forest. He hoped.

After a few minutes' walk, the path ended up at a small cottage. The walls looked like packed earth reinforced with wood, and the roof was thatched with straw.

Ventus walked to the window and peered inside, noting the furniture that seemed too small for any normal-sized person to sit. "This must be where those little men live."

His train of thought was disturbed by a high-pitched scream that echoed from deeper inside the forest. Ven quickly snapped around, searching for the source, but the dense foliage blocked his view of anything more than a few meters away. However, the path that he was following continued across a stream and deeper into the forest. Luckily, that was also the direction from which the scream had originated. Keyblade at the ready, Ventus started running.

The path finally gave way to a large clearing. At the entrance, Ven slowed down, knowing that the entrance would be a good ambush spot for those monsters. The forest was dark enough that he needed all the warning he could get.

At the other end of the clearing, he saw a girl on her knees with her face in her hands. Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, he ran over to her, dematerializing his Keyblade as he approached.

The girl was sobbing into her hands. "What's wrong?" Ven asked quietly.

Without looking at him, she responded, "Those horrible trees, they tried to grab me."

_What kind of forest is this?_ Ven extended a hand to her. "It's okay, you were probably just seeing things." Yeah, that was more likely than the trees suddenly becoming sentient and having a taste for human flesh. "It happens to all of us when we're afraid."

She took his hand and stood up. At her full height she was slightly taller than he was, which annoyed him slightly.

"Oh, thank you. I feel quite better now. I'm sure I'll get along…somehow." That sounded kind of weak to Ventus, but he let it slide. "But I do need a place to sleep at night. Would you know anywhere I might?"

The dwarves' cottage immediately sprung to mind. It was the only building he knew of in the entire forest, and he could convince the dwarves to accept this girl. Probably. There was no harm in trying, anyway.

"I saw a house just up ahead. Come on, I'll take you there…" _Oh. I don't know her name. Let's remedy that._ "Oh, I'm Ventus. Ven for short."

"Thank you, Ven. My name's Snow White!" she said, smiling.

"Great! Let's get going."

* * *

Terra was fighting a new type of Unversed. They looked like rabbits with massive ears, but those ears could ball up and harden, becoming impervious to any attack. Terra had learned this the hard way, when he attempted to come down on one with a jumping strike. It had rolled up, absorbed the impact, and then exploded outward, sending him flying. In a panic, Terra instinctively tried to slide, even though he'd never really done it aerially before.

What began as a flight towards the castle ended up as a touchdown in the river—he had changed his momentum in midair. Soaking wet and with a group of Unversed bearing down on him, he grinned nevertheless. It seemed that he still had a lot to learn, but this was a start.

_~Terra has learned __**Air Slide!**~_

He spent the remainder of the battle using his newfound aerial mobility to juke attacks and strike from unexpected directions. As the last Unversed exploded into blue smoke, Terra felt that he'd gotten the hang of his newfound ability.

But in the rush of battle and of acquiring new knowledge, he'd forgotten something. _Snow White!_ He ran to the edge of the forest, attempted to enter it, saw how dark it was and how the trees seemed to be reaching for him…

_The Unversed aren't interested in her anyway, so she should be fine. Besides, I can't interfere. I'm already toeing the line by talking to that queen. She also said that she doesn't know where Xehanort is, so that leaves me one option. The Mirror in the castle._

He groaned. The underground maze _again?_

_Then again, with my new Air Slide, this might be quite a bit easier…_

* * *

_-zwip-_

On one side of the clearing, Ventus and Snow White saw a group of Unversed slide into existence in front of them. Ven led her to the shadow of one of the massive trees before summoning his Keyblade. "Wait here," he said, and charged into battle. The Flood fell before his blade, and he turned, looking for new threats.

"Help me!" Snow White cried. The giant tree that she had sheltered under was reaching towards her, blowing a cyclone of wind towards her.

…_what kind of forest _is _this?_

He rushed over to her, placing himself between her and the tree and summoning a burst of light to pacify it. The tree's deformed shape returned to normal and its movements stilled.

_Avoid the trees, avoid the Unversed…this is gonna be harder than I thought._ But Ventus was not one to shy away from difficult tasks, and he began to focus on his swift strikes. In doing so, he started glowing with a soft greenish-white light, and he activated his personal command style: Fever Pitch.

Fever Pitch made his already speedy attacks even faster. Aqua had described his Fever Pitch-enhanced attacks as blurs that even her trained eyes couldn't follow. Those blurs struck the Unversed from all angles, stopping at times to blast the demonic trees with light to keep them at bay.

Snow White's cry brought him back to reality—in his battle fury, he'd gotten ahead of the girl—and he jumped high, throwing the Keyblade at the monsters that menaced the girl. He landed, sprinted with feverish speed at the crowd of Unversed, and started up his command style's final attack—a blinding series of blows that ended with five slashes on the ground. His final blows were so fast that the aftershock obliterated every monster standing on them.

Breathing heavily, he held out his hand to Snow White. "Are you okay?"

She smiled and took his hand. "Yes, thanks to you."

* * *

Next time, two boss battles!


	8. 7: Mirror MIrror, When Trees Attack

**Author's Note:**

Time for Terra and Ven to leave the Dwarf Woodlands.

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts

* * *

**Chapter 7: Mirror, Mirror/When Trees Attack**

(Dwarf Woodlands)

The labyrinthine dungeons were as confusing to Terra as they were the first time he had traversed them. This time, however, his travels were made easier by his new ability to air-slide. He was able to keep dry by hopping off the Unversed that attempted to slow him and sliding whenever he could.

Finally, he reached the Mirror Chamber, and cautiously stepped inside. The Queen was still staring at the Mirror, so it was impossible for him to tell what her reaction to his entrance was.

"How dare you return here, you blundering fool?"

_Annoyed. Definitely annoyed._

"What are you talking about?" _She shouldn't know that I didn't carry out her order._

"I ordered you to bring me Snow White's heart." _How did she know? The Mirror?_

"A request I chose to ignore. You know, you claim to be radiant, but all I see are shadows of jealousy, hanging thick on your heart." _This is the darkness that Master Eraqus wants us to fight._

It appeared that his refusal to do her dirty work coupled with his indictment of her character pushed the Queen over the breaking point. She turned to face him fully, her face contorted with rage.

"You will pay for such insolence. Magic Mirror on the wall, consume this fool, once and for all!"

That didn't sound good. Terra summoned his Keyblade and dropped into a ready stance as the Queen spread her arms wide, waiting for the mirror to heed her command.

Several seconds passed.

Terra still stood in his ready stance, alive, well, and not consumed. The queen's features twisted even more—how many of her servants were going to disobey her today?—and she turned to the Mirror, her entire demeanor asking an unspoken question.

The Mirror spoke. "Alas, my liege, that I cannot do. I have no power, save answers true."

Terra relaxed upon hearing this statement, now knowing that he had nothing to fear from this mad Queen and her all-knowing mirror. And then he tensed up again at the next series of events.

"You dare defy your Queen?" She quickly located a potion under her voluminous robes and smashed the vial on the Mirror's surface. Smoke rose from the glass as the spirit of the Mirror gasped, its mask-like face shaking.

The Queen smiled.

A bright light shone forth from the mirror, and Terra shielded his eyes. When he removed his hand from his face, he was standing in a mass of hazy purple smoke, staring down the now human-sized mask.

* * *

Ventus and Snow White entered the dwarves' cabin, which was still devoid of any occupants. Despite the apparent paranoia of the dwarves when it came to their jewels, the place was unlocked. Ventus absently wondered where they kept the spoils of their mining.

After a cursory glance, Ven turned to Snow White. "I'm pretty sure you'll be safe here, but sit tight while I look around." After all, there could be more Unversed, or those demonic trees could grow legs as well as arms and start attacking…

Ven shuddered and ran out of the small house.

*X*

After securing the area, Ventus returned to the small cottage, proclaiming "The coast is clear! Not a monster in sight—huh?"

It looked like the inhabitants of the house had returned, and they were clustered around Snow White.

The one with the big nose turned and pointed at him accusingly. "Couldn't stay away, couldja? And who invited you in, you rotten thief?"

Thankfully, he was spared another exhausting argument by Snow White. "Oh no, he's not a thief. He rescued me."

"You fustn't be mooled—uh, mustn't be fooled by him, princess," said the one with glasses.

_Wait, princess? I've been traveling around with a princess?_

The large-nosed one spoke up again. "Just go on and git!"

Snow White clasped her hands together. "Please don't send him away. You see, he helped me when I was lost and oh, so very frightened."

_Come to think of it, I never found out why she was in that forest to begin with._ He walked forward. "What happened?"

"Well, I was picking flowers by the wood, and there was a stranger there. He had a sword, but it was like a key, and then these monsters came and—"

_A sword like a key? Terra!_

The one with the glasses said, "You mean this stranger saw ya and set his horde of evil demons after ya?"

"Terra would never do that!" Ven yelled impulsively.

"Oh, of course, I'm sure he wouldn't. Not if he's someone who's your friend." At least Snow White trusted him. That had to count for something.

"Princess, you trustn't be so musting—er, trusting." Glasses again. What was with him and switching the first letters of words?

"He's a'lying! Mark my words!" And that was the big-nosed one and his charming personality.

Ventus was finally fed up with these dwarves and their paranoia. "I'll prove it!" he shouted, and left the cottage in a fit of anger.

* * *

_Ancient Apparition_

_The All-Seeing Eye:_

**Spirit of the Magic Mirror**

* * *

The mask was now taller than he was, but it still gazed through him with its empty-eyed stare. Terra refused to be cowed and stared right back. The Spirit seemed to smirk slightly before sinking into the ground in a pool of white light.

"Wait—" Terra rushed the mask, bringing his Keyblade down in a powerful strike, but the mask was already gone. He stood at the spot where it vanished, feeling slightly foolish. _What's it doing?_

As soon as he finished that thought, two rows of identical masks sprang up on either side of him, facing him with eyes empty and mouths slightly open. The two closest to him open their mouths wider, and he saw a swirling ball of darkness within—

Terra decided to vacate the area, and it was not a moment too soon, as the twin balls of darkness smashed into each other at exactly the point where he was standing. The next pair of masks similarly started to fire, so Terra, immediately grasping the situation, started sprinting down the row of masks, keeping just ahead of the darkness.

After a few seconds of this frantic chase, he noticed that one of the masks ahead had its lips curled in a smile instead of an oval. _Maybe I can use that to get out of this gauntlet._ When he reached the smiling mask, he brought his Keyblade around in a smashing strike that sent the mask reeling back, groaning in pain. The other masks quickly sank into the ground, allowing Terra to pound on the single mask that was left. After a few seconds, the Spirit seemed to collect itself and flew high into the air.

Terra tried to follow its motion, but its path brought it over his head repeatedly, and he couldn't turn fast enough to keep it in vision. It didn't help that it was bombing him with darkness every couple of seconds.

As he slid away from one of the dark attacks, he chanced a look down, and realized that the floor was reflective. It was a lot easier for him to follow the mask's movement when he looked at the mirrored floor, and he could now dodge the attacks with relative ease.

The Spirit seemed to realize that Terra had seen through its attack pattern, so it decided to drop to ground level and charge at Terra. It was an unexpected move, but Terra's reflexes were up to the task. He brought his Keyblade up, blocking the brunt of the Spirit's attack, although he slid back a few feet.

The mask charged, once, twice. On the third charge, instead of blocking, Terra instead jumped to the side, angling his Keyblade such that the Spirit glanced off it. Before the mask could recover, Terra moved forward—"Sliding Dash!"—and stabbed his Keyblade through the back of the mask. The Spirit's groan seemed more strained, somehow; Terra sensed he was getting close to finishing it off. As he raised his Keyblade to deal the finishing blow, the Spirit sank into the ground once more.

This time, the masks circled around Terra, loosing darkness at him at random intervals. Despite his initial surprise, Terra almost laughed when he spotted the single mask whose lips curved upwards—this was almost too easy. He ran to the edge of the circle and timed his strike to when the smiling mask passed in front of him. The Spirit recoiled, its doubles sinking into the ground.

Terra grinned, focusing on his strong, sure strikes to activate Critical Impact. His strengthened blows drove the mask into the ground, where it feebly tried to summon one last dark projectile.

Terra jumped high into the air, dodging the weak ball of darkness, and roared "Say goodbye!" before bringing his Keyblade down on the mask for the final time.

* * *

Ventus regretted storming out of the cottage the moment he stepped outside. He couldn't just go back in, though. Those dwarves would hardly welcome him with open arms. Ven scowled. Why did this have to be so hard?

And then the world shook as a massive roar split the air. The source of the noise seemed to be in the deeper parts of the forest. Without any hesitation, he ran deeper inside.

He reached the clearing that he had escorted Snow White through, and pulled up short upon seeing—

* * *

_Giant Unversed_

_Fledgling Insanity:_

**Mad Treant**

* * *

The massive Unversed took the form of a giant tree, as had several of the foes that Ven had led Snow White past. Unlike those stationary trees, however, the Treant had grown four legs. It seemed to bear blue and yellow as well as purple fruit, and its trunk bore designs reminiscent of menacing red eyes, a jagged mouth, and an oddly heart-shaped symbol.

Ventus registered all this in a split second, and then realized that if this thing was anything like the trees he had faced earlier, it was probably going to go after Snow White. He could not let that happen.

As Wayward Wind shimmered into his hand, Ventus roared, "Back off!" The Treant roared a challenge back, and the battle began.

Ventus charged the Unversed, impulsive as always. His Keyblade was drawn back to deliver a swift strike, but he had to skid to a stop as the Treant jumped high into the air.

_That's gonna create a massive shockwave when it lands…_

Ven used his natural speed to vacate the landing area, and was rewarded with a free opportunity to Strike Raid as it was momentarily stunned by its landing. As he waited for his Keyblade to boomerang back, however, he failed to notice the ground cracking below his feet. On landing, the Treant had planted its roots in the ground and used them to sunder the earth under the Keyblade wielder's feet. Ven only realized this when he was sent flying by the sudden upheaval of rock.

He twisted in the air, resummoning his Keyblade, and managed to avoid a nasty fall by rolling to absorb his momentum. _I have to be more careful._

As (bad) luck would have it, his roll landed him right next to the Treant, who immediately whipped its branches around to try to send the poor boy flying again. Ven's reflexes were as fast as ever, and his Keyblade blocked the savage onslaught, although he was sent back a few feet from the force of the blows.

The earth rumbled under his feet again, but this time he was ready—he dashed forward, sidestepping the cracks in the ground that heralded the upheavals, and managed to close into striking range. His swift blows rained down on the Unversed, momentarily stunning it so that Ven could deal even more damage. As the Unversed rose to its feet, Ven, mindful of its savage branches, backed up out of range to wait for its next attack.

The Treant's bark became suffused with darkness as its eyes glowed a deeper red. It stomped its feet, as if throwing a tantrum, and then jumped high once again. This time, though, Ventus timed his jump to meet it in midair—"The air is _my_ territory!"—and brought his Keyblade smashing down with a Quick Blitz. He could feel that Fever Pitch was now an option that he could use, but he still hadn't seen all of its attacks, and so he decided to back off wait for more information. He sensed that the Unversed was reaching its limit, though.

As he backed off, the ground trembled again, but this time after the earth stop shaking, he was faced with a new threat from above. The tree's branches had somehow created massive fireballs that were streaking towards him, but his quick reflexes and quicker moves allowed him to easily dodge them all. The Treant, seeing that its long-distance attacks were ineffective, decided to once again jump at the boy. As he had before, Ventus jumped to meet it, but this time, he activated Fever Pitch.

Ventus became a blur, hacking and slashing at the Unversed from all angles, before finally backflipping away and running straight at the tree. He seemed to vanish and reappear behind it, Keyblade held out.

A beat, as the only sounds in the forest were Ventus's breathing and the rustling of the leaves.

And with a loud cry, the Mad Treant disappeared into the blue smoke that all Unversed eventually became.

* * *

Terra once again shielded his eyes from the light escaping from the mask, but this time it seemed…warmer, somehow. When he lowered his hand, he was once again standing in the Mirror Chamber, his back to the Queen and her Mirror.

"How did you escape?" the Queen asked in disbelief. Terra turned to face her, banishing his Keyblade.

"Now you will ask the mirror. Where can I find Master Xehanort?" He'd come here for this, and he wasn't going to leave until he'd finally gotten answers.

The Queen growled in exasperation, but realizing that Terra was more powerful than she was, she turned to the mirror. "Magic Mirror, instruct this knave. Give him the answers he doth crave."

Without hesitation, the Mirror replied, "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was raged upon the fells." _War? Maybe the Keyblade War? But Master Eraqus never told us where the battles of the war were fought, and in any case, it's probably a bustling world by now…_

"Is that all?" asked Terra. This time, the Mirror did not reply. _Oh well, at least now I have some kind of lead._ "Thanks, you've been a big help." He left the Queen in her chamber and once again traversed the maze-like castle dungeon.

In the courtyard, Terra started piecing together what he knew. "Master Eraqus said he first received word of these events from Master Yen Sid. Maybe it's time I went and spoke with him myself." And with that said, he ran out to the fields to open a path to the Lanes Between.

* * *

Ventus sprinted through the woods, following the path to a field full of wildflowers. This must be where Snow White met Terra…

He shouted Terra's name into the empty air, but there was no response. He hadn't really expected one, but it was still disappointing.

Ven started to turn back, but he was distracted when an apple rolled to a stop at his feet. "Huh?" He picked it up, turned it over in his hand, looked around the clearing. The only other person there was what looked like an old lady in a black cloak, carrying a basket of apples—hey!

Ven walked over to the woman. "Excuse me, ma'am. You dropped this."

The old woman turned to him, looking down her long nose at the proffered apple. "Oh, why thank you, my pet. To tell the truth, I really don't know what I would have done without that." She let out a low, sinister-sounding chuckle. "Haven't I seen that sword before?"

With a start, Ven realized that he'd never desummoned his Keyblade after the Treant fight. Whoops. But he might get some information out of her, regardless.

"Terra has one. Do you know Terra?"

"Oh yes, yes…That ruffian pointed one of those at me, asking about some "Xehanort"—my poor heart nearly stopped!"

Ventus looked at his Keyblade. A weapon of light, used to fight for peace and justice, not to threaten little old ladies. "That doesn't sound like him at all. Ma'am, where did Terra go?"

"I'm sure I have no idea," she said, turning to him. She saw his raised Keyblade and interpreted the gesture in exactly the wrong way. "Must you all menace a poor granny so?"

"What? No, I was just…" But the old woman turned and walked away before he could finish.

Ventus sighed. "Terra, what did you do?" He knew he would find the answer to that question on another world, so with a heavy heart, he opened a path to the Lanes Between and left.

* * *

I know Zantetsouken is a high level ability, but I just couldn't resist using it for Ventus's fight.

Next time, Ven's mouse-sized adventures in the Castle of Dreams.


End file.
